A/N So here's the second half of this chapter...Once again this is unbeta'ed since my beta has had some real life issues to deal with (college can be a drag) but like on the last chapter I will update the beta'ed version once she gets it to me...I was just going to wait but I thought you guys might want it sooner...so as a price for the update you might have to excuse a few more typos than normal...and also before you start reading, just remember that things are always darkest right before dawn...

Ginny sighed as she pulled her jacket closer around her and laid back on the roof of the Burrow watching the sun go down on another year. It was New Years Eve and she was prepared to spend it alone in her room curled up with a good book and a pint of ice cream.

She really would be alone too. All her siblings were spending the evening with their assorted wives and girlfriends and even her parents went out for the night. Ron and Hermione were going to a party that Neville and Luna were throwing at their flat, and had invited her to come but she had declined, not wanting to feel like a third wheel.

Thinking that she was alone in the house it wasn't surprising that she was startled by footsteps crunching on the snow covered roof behind her. She was even more surprised when she turned around and saw it was Harry that was behind her since she had been avoiding him like the plague since Christmas.

"Hey," Harry said sitting down next to her.

"Hey," she responded not looking at him.

"So what's this I hear about you spending New Years Eve by yourself?"

"Yeah, what about it?" Ginny asked defensively.

"You can't stay here by yourself on New Years Eve, come to Oliver's party with me. Please?" Harry asked giving her his puppy dog eyes.

Ginny looked ay him skeptically, "I didn't go to Neville and Luna's party with Ron and Hermione because I didn't want to be the third wheel. Why would I want to do that with you?"

"Why would you consider yourself the third wheel? I'm only asking you to come with me. I thought you would like to meet all my teammates and there will be a bunch of other Quidditch players there too," Harry told her.

"Isn't Phimie going?" Ginny asked suspiciously, wondering why he had asked her instead of taking his girlfriend.

"No," Harry said, "she doesn't believe in partying on New Year's Eve. She calls it amateur night."

"I see," Ginny said quietly looking at the horizon. A part of her wanted to go but another part of her was still angry at Harry for the whole situation and was hurt that he was only asking her to go with him since he didn't have anyone else to take. She battled back and forth with herself for a moment before deciding that she really didn't want to bring in the new year with only Jack for company.

"So, what do you say?" Harry asked again.

Ginny relented with a sigh, "Fine, I'll go with you. What time do we need to leave?"

"I was thinking about an hour."

"An hour! Harry I still have to take a shower," Ginny exclaimed.

"Well then you better hurry," Harry said in good humor, glad that she was coming.

Ginny just shot him a glare as she hurried past him, into the house so she could get ready for her night out.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Ginny walked into the party next to Harry and took a look around, the only person she knew was Oliver himself, but that didn't mean she didn't recognize half the people in the room. It seemed like every other person was a Quidditch player or someone else who graced the pages of Witch Weekly or the Daily Prophet for a variety of reasons.

But Ginny, being who she was, was neither star struck nor intimidated as she started to make rounds around the room with Harry as he introduced her to people. About an hour into the party, she was settled on a couch talking to Harry and two of his teammates when she felt someone's eyes on her. She looked around her until she saw who it was that was looking at her. She made eye contact with a pair of the most striking blue eyes she had ever seen. The man who was attached to those eyes smiled at her, revealing perfect white teeth, then turned back to his conversation.

It wasn't until he looked away that she was able to rip her eyes away from his long enough to observe the rest of him. He was very tan giving him a swarthy complexion which just made his blue eyes and white teeth stand out all the more. He had a perfect Grecian nose and square, manly jaw. His hair was a very dark brown and thick and wavy, almost bordering on curly with a lock that fell over his left eye that he absentmindedly pushed aside just to have it fall right back where it was. His chest was broad and his hips narrow and she couldn't help notice this toned arms and tight abs underneath his fitted white tee shirt or how his distressed jeans slung so perfectly low on his hips. He also had the aura of being completely self possessed and self assured, he looked like the kind of person that was always in control of whatever situation he might find himself in. All in all, she had to admit that he was a perfect example of the stereotypical tall, dark, and handsome male specimen.

She forced herself to look back at her companions and as she felt his gaze turn back to her, she asked Harry's teammate Mackenzie who he was.

"Who?" Mackenzie asked.

"The guy in the white shirt that is looking at me," she told her in a low tone.

Mackenzie looked behind her inconspicuously on the pretense of stretching out her back and turned back around with a smile on her face. "That my dear, is no other than Mauricio Giona, the new Italian import, twenty one years old and drop dead sexy. He's the new seeker for the Magpies and let me tell you he is a fantastic flyer."

Harry was not as nonchalant as he turned around to see him and just scoffed loudly as he turned back around.

"Harry doesn't like him because they are saying that if anyone can beat him, it's Mauricio," Lara, Harry's other teammate, explained to Ginny, "Our little Harry here is threatened."

"I am not threatened," Harry said scoffing again, "I just don't like him because something about him rubs me the wrong way."

"Sure," Lara teased as she to turned to look at the man in question, noticing that he did keep glancing at Ginny. "He is a looker though, and Ginny, he seems to think the same about you, which surprises me."

"What do you mean by that?" Ginny asked defensively.

"Oh no, I didn't mean it like that!" Lara exclaimed embarrassed. "I just meant that I am surprised he is showing interest in anyone. He hasn't showed interest in pursuing anyone since he came to England last summer, they say he is to dedicated to the game for distractions such as a girlfriend."

"And trust me that not for lack of trying," Mackenzie picked up. "I think that every unattached girl in here has tried to 'distract' him at one point or another. Because on top of looking the way he does, he is a total gentleman."

"Really?" Ginny said thoughtfully as she absorbed this information.

"Yup," Lara concerned. "But he certainly seems distracted now, don't look now but he is looking over here again."

Harry scoffed again.

"Got something in your throat Harry?" Mackenzie asked with mock concern.

Harry didn't answer her but addressed Ginny instead, "I'm going to go talk to Wood, are you alright on your own?"

"Yes Harry, I'm a big girl now," Ginny said rolling her eyes.

"Okay," Harry said with a fleeting glance at Giona before leaving to look for Oliver.

The three girls talked for another twenty minutes before they were interrupted by someone clearing their throat. Ginny looked up to see no other than the Italian Quidditch star himself standing behind her.

"I couldn't help but notice you from across the room and I realized I have never met you before and I decided that I absolutely had to come over and introduce myself. I'm Mauricio Giona," he said offering his hand.

"Ginny Weasley," Ginny replied, reaching out to meet his hand to shake it but was surprised when he swiftly took her hand in his and raised it his lips kissing it quickly.

"May I sit down?" he asked.

"Of course," Ginny said scooting over to give him space to sit in the seat previously occupied by Harry. When he sat down beside her she saw that up close his eyes were such a deep blue that they were almost purple.

The four of them made small talk for a moment before Mackenzie and Lara suddenly 'remembered' that they promised someone that they would visit with them. Before Ginny realized what happened she was alone with him and only vaguely aware that every girl in the room was giving her jealous glances.

"So you're here with Harry Potter, are you not?" Mauricio asked at one point in the conversation.

"Yes, I sure am."

"I don't mean to pry, but are you two..." he paused as if looking for the correct word, "involved?"

Ginny almost spat out the drink she was taking a drink of. "Me and Harry? Merlin no, we are definitely just friends," she told him, noticing that Mauricio looked pleased at her answer. "Harry is dating Seraphim Von Burr."

"You don't like her do you?" he asked noticing how she scrunched her nose when she said her name.

"No, not really. I prefer to converse with people with a higher IQ than a soil sample," Ginny said frankly, causing Mauricio to let out a roaring laugh. "I'm sorry," Ginny apologized, "That wasn't very nice of me."

"No it's quite alright. You shouldn't have to apologize for being honest and there is nothing I value more than honesty. Besides," he said leaning in to whisper, "I have had the pleasureof meeting Ms. Von Burr myself and I have to tell you, between you and me, I share your opinion."

Mauricio gave her a secret sharing smile that Ginny couldn't help but return enthusiastically. As she sat talking with him for the next hour or so she suddenly realized that she was having a lot of fun talking to him and was glad that she decided to come with Harry.

"I'm ready to go Gin," Harry said walking up to her, interrupting the conversation she was having with the Italian Quidditch star.

"Okay, see you later Harry," she responded giving him only a cursory glance, wanting to hear the end of the story Mauricio was telling her about growing up in a small town in Italy.

"I said thatweare leaving," Harry said pointedly.

With this Ginny stood up and spun around, the fire in her eyes burning at full force. "Wemy dear Harry, aren't going anywhere.Iam not ready to leave yet.Youdo not need to stay if you do not wish, but I'm not going anywhere. Besides, it's not even midnight yet."

"I don't care it's not midnight yet, you still can't stay here without me," Harry told her, "You can't go home by yourself at this time of night."

"It would be my pleasure to escort you home," Mauricio cut in, also standing, causing both of them to look at him in surprise as they had forgotten he was right there.

"See," Ginny said, "problem solved."

"Ginny, can I talk to you outside," Harry demanded, more than asked, as he took her by the upper arm and led her out onto the patio before waiting for a response.

When they got outside and out of hearing reach Ginny wrenched her arm out of Harry's grasp.

"What's wrong with you!" Ginny demanded to know.

"What do you think you are doing in there?" Harry demanded back.

"I'm having a good time. What's wrong with that? You bring me to this party that I didn't really even want to come to and then you get mad at me for having a good time?"

"Well I don't want you having a good time with him!"

"What's wrong with Mauricio? This isn't really about him being your Quidditch rival is it?"Ginny asked laughing at the absurdity of this being the reason.

"No," Harry replied hurriedly. "It's just with that his accent and his eyes and that whole look of his, girls are always making fools of themselves falling all over him at these things."

"Harry in case you didn't notice he talked to me first, not the other way around. You're angry because a guy is actually paying me attention. That someone might actually be attracted to me. And it's not like I am one of those tramps that will just throw themselves on a guy because they are rich and famous. I would never stoop to that level, not like your dearPhimie." Ginny told him practically spitting out her name.

"Is that was this is all about?" Harry asked as if he was just now realizing this. "This whole thing is about Phimie, that's why you have been acting so weird this past week. You don't like her."

"How could you do this, how could you be dating that wench? Don't you know that she only wants you for you fame and money?" Ginny shouted at Harry.

"Of course I know that!" Harry shouted back, much to the surprise of Ginny who had not been expecting that response. "Do you honestly think that I would believe that she would want to be with me if I wasn't Harry bloody Potter? For heavens sake, she doesn't even know that my name isn't short for Harold no matter how many times I try to tell her! It's not like I am planning on marrying her, she is just someone to have fun with for right now."

"But Harry, this just isn't like you. You always hated the spot light and the whole scene that your fame provided. I don't know why you have suddenly changed."

"Ginny, I'm eighteen years old, I'm an international Quidditch star, I have more money than I could spend in three lifetimes and so far I have only led the life that was predestined for me. I didn't enjoy fame because I didn't think I deserved any attention for something that I had no control over, something that happened when I was barely walking. How was I supposed to handle fame?" He paused as if waiting for Ginny to respond but when she didn't say anything he kept going.

"I was a scared eleven year old who had spent most of his life living in a cupboard under the stairs, who was suddenly told he was magical and had unknowingly defeated the most evil wizard of all time. I spent the next six years learning that not only was he not dead but he most certainly wanted me that way and that I was the only who can save all of wizard and man kind. That is a lot of pressure for an eleven or sixteen year old to handle and I reacted the only way I knew how."

"But things have changed and that phase of my life is over so is it so wrong for me to want to have some fun and to try to maybe make up for some of the time I lost. I was never a child Ginny, I never knew what it was like to be carefree, I didn't have the privilege. I just want to live my life without having to live up to everyone else's expectations. Ginny don't you think that I know that my actions are not the ones of a selfless hero, who thinks of everyone before himself. Maybe I don't want to be selfless right now. Don't I deserve to be a little selfish? I've done all the work, do I have to be above enjoying some of the rewards. Don't think that I don't know what's really going on Ginny. I know that Phimie wouldn't give me the time of day if I wasn't who I am, but I am who I am and I can't fight that anymore. To be honest, I'm using her too, we're both just looking for some fun and if it wasn't her it would be somebody else."

"I just don't know why you had to pick someone who so obviously doesn't care anything about you and only about your persona. She doesn't know anything about the real you."

"You should know better than anyone that everyone in the wizarding world will see me as the famous Harry Potter, The-Boy-Who-Lived, The-Boy-Who-Won, Seeker for Puddlemere United, never as just plain Harry. Even people at school who I went to classes with and lived with for seven years don't know me past what they want to believe or what they read. People just can't see past the scar," Harry said with a defeated shrug, suddenly looking very tired.

"Well I'm sure that you could find a girl that would appreciate being with you because of who you are and not because of your name or scar, if you looked hard enough," Ginny insisted.

Harry laughed cynically, "Ginny, the only women in my life that will ever see me for me are Hermione and you and while I couldn't ask for better friends, you two are like the sisters I never had, but sometimes I just want more then you can give me. "

"All of the sudden I feel like I don't even know you," Ginny said shaking her head in disbelief.

"And if you of all people can't understand the reasoning behind my actions at this point in my life and can't support me, then I feel like I don't know you either," Harry countered.

An uneasy silence feel between them as neither of them knew what else to say, both of them suddenly interested in their feet and deep in thought. For the first time in years they felt truly uncomfortable in each others presence.

"It's late and I'm tired and I'm going home and going to bed," Harry said finally breaking the silence. "I have to get up early because I told Phimie that I would meet her for breakfast in the morning. Am I taking you home or not?"

Ginny who would have left had he not mentioned i her /I name, felt her Weasley pride and determination broil up inside of her. "I'm staying," she told him firmly.

Harry gave Ginny a long searching look that Ginny could not really tell what he looking for in her eyes, whatever it was it didn't seem like he found it because he then dropped his eyes from her face and gave a weary sigh.

"Fine, but I'm only leaving you here because I know that you are more than capable of handling yourself but I swear to Merlin if anything happens...well I just hope he doesn't give me a reason, because I will kill him."

Without waiting for a response he turned on his heal and Disapparated, leaving Ginny alone on the patio with sagging shoulders and a bent head. As she stood alone in the dark she couldn't ignore the dull ache in her chest and the nagging voice from the back of her head that told her that things would never be quite the same between them. She took a deep breath and gathered all the strength and determination inside of her and walked back inside as if nothing had happened.

"Wow that was impressive," Mauricio told Ginny when she came back inside, admiration clearly showing in his eyes. "I think that you are the first person I have ever met that has the courage to stand up to Harry Potter, let alone win. I enjoy a woman who can stand up for herself and speak her mind and can properly unbraid someone when it is needed. It seems like most of the girls in this circle are to busy trying to, how you say, 'bag themselves a rich one' to truly speak their mind. You're different Ginny, I like that."

"Yeah well, I have never been one to take anything lying down, and as far as Harry goes I've known him since I was ten," Ginny took a deep breath, "he's like another brother to me."

"Another brother? How many do you have?"

"Six, all older," Ginny told him.

"Ahh, well that explains you ability to stick up for yourself. You must of had to be tough." Mauricio said with a good natured laugh. "Gezz with six brothers and an almost brother in Harry Potter remind me to get on your bad side," he teased

"Well I think that you should be more worried about me if you get on my bad side, considering all seven of them have taught me well," Ginny teased back.

Mauricio let out another roaring laugh, "Touché Ginny, touché." He paused as if considering something, then seemed to make a decision before speaking again. "Are you doing anything tomorrow afternoon? Because I was wondering if maybe you wanted to go out for some lunch with me."

As Ginny considered his offer for a moment she couldn't help but notice how unburdened and carefree he looked in comparison to Harry. Here was a man that had never known any real great hardship or tragedy. Life had been kind to him, so unlike how it had been to Harry. Harry...he was going to breakfast with that trollop why shouldn't she go to lunch with a perfectly nice guy?

"I would love to," Ginny answered him, causing him to smile even wider, once again displaying his perfect teeth.

On the outside Ginny matched the smile that Mauricio was giving her but on the inside she felt like crying.

A/N Before you all completely flame me, I know this seems super out of character for Harry and he comes off as a real ass but step away from the main picture for a moment before you completely condemn him (or me for that matter for writing him this way)...He is an 18 year old boy (and I say boy because I believe that most guys at 18 are still very much boys with a lot of growing up to do) who has been to hell and back...he has this opportunity to live this life style that few will ever be given the opportunity and he is curious about what kind of life it could be...also before you all come hunt me down I want to reassure you that this is the darkest period in the relationship between the two of them and things will start on the road to recovery in the next chapter...